Monthly Archives: September 2016

Our client Direct Eats recently launched an awesome new website and they looked to us to help them with a smart social media strategy to help drive awareness. Upon launch we focused heavily on driving traffic to the site from both their current base (fans, emails) and new prospects, via strategic targeting, including special interest groups and fans of competitor brands. This was very successful and while the goal was only traffic to start, it produced some really nice revenue and a ROAS around 5 to 1.

Now that we had started the funnel, we took a close look at Google Analytics and user behavior and then created some social content that would present the types of products or categories that users were interested in. We created the post you see here and then boosted it to 2 distinct groups:

$10 at website visitors from the last 30 days – because we wanted to retarget them with a nice looking piece of content and drive behavior with a limited time offer CTA.

$10 to fans of the brand – because fans really take to new and newsworthy content from the brands they follow, especially “insiders only” type messaging.

Both produced 3 direct transactions on the website, as you can see below:

The first row shows the retargeting results, which as you can see had much less reach and engagement than the second row, which shows the fan target. That being said, it packed a nice punch and produced the same amount of sales. We turned $20 into $130 with some smart execution and a willingness to invest. Clearly, both have merit and warrant continued experimentation.

These types of small ball tactics, are precisely what make social media management so exciting and such a vital role to any organization who has online initiatives and goals (as all should). This client launched a new website, with better functionality and UX and then leveraged Facebook to drive revenue and results. Well played guys, well played!

When a brand hires Sircle Media (or any external agency for that matter) to manage their social media strategy, they are staffing for a role that is really made up of a lot of little micro roles. You would think it is about fans and followers, or content creation and messaging, but it really is about much more. Success comes from finding ways to wear all of the necessary hats, really listening to each client’s specific pain/pleasure points and then delivering for them.

I teach my team to be comfortable with their strengths and weaknesses. The beauty of an agency is that we have a team and they don’t need to go it alone. Their job is to be the goalkeeper and serve the client’s interests and advocate for their needs. There are areas of focus they need to execute upon, to keep them pleased (or at bay) and then there are areas they will need to employ the help of others. I count on them to know the difference and to always be an advocate for their clients at all touch points.

As the one protecting the client, they are like a parent making sure they get the things their children/loved ones desperately need to survive. It is like providing food, water, sleep etc. Part of that is defined by the agency up front, BUT much of that is defined by the client on a day to day basis. Not every brand is looking for the same things and most have some sort of strange idiosyncrasies that need to be paid close attention to. We need to know their hot buttons and then execute accordingly.

We have outlined 5 areas of focus for a SMM over our years in business-

SERVICE PROVIDER

We’re all about Four Seasons style customer service first and foremost. This is one area that is fully in our control and it is mission critical to deliver above and beyond expectations. Most agencies provide lackluster focus in this arena, which leads to brands becoming accustomed to and expecting subpar service. We aim to be the anti-agency in this regard.

We believe:

Proactive is better than reactive.

Be professional, courteous and super positive in all client interactions.

Employ a “can do attitude” and “service with a smile” approach.

CREATIVE PROVIDER

This is deeply rooted in content and visual representation for their brand. They are looking to their Social Media Manager to have an eye for creative and to keep their ear to the grindstone so to speak, on trends and social network evolvement. Here is where having photographers, graphic designers and even videographers on staff is a real differentiator. A scrappy Social Media Manager can do quite a bit, but they can only take things so far. To stick the landing on truly solid content, these experts really make a difference.

KNOWLEDGE PROVIDER

We are being hired in a “junior” role, for most companies, but we are expected to be the most knowledgeable in the area of how to use social media for business. So it is our duty to know the what, when, how and even the where to get answers for the client. We need to be the resource for knowledge on all things social and there is just so much to know. School is always in session.

COMMUNITY GOVERNOR

This is the daily management of social media for a client. The proactive (outgoing content) as well as the reactive (how should we handle all kind of community feedback and chatter) management each week. Should we just LIKE when someone mentions us? When and where should we take that deeper? Some clients care a lot about UGC, while others do not. Some want to respond to every single interaction and others want to pick and choose. This is the heavy lifting component of social media. We consider this the “blocking and tackling” part of the game – super important, but under appreciated.

RESULTS PROVIDER

When prospects are thinking about hiring us, they often look to fan and follower counts as the metrics for success. We find that once we are on the team, these metrics get thrown out and replaced with more important ones for that brand. It is mission critical to sit with each client and to really get to know which ones really matter and we have found, they can differ drastically from client to client.

A lot of pressure is put on the role of Social Media or Community Manager (whether hired internally or externally) and to succeed you have to balance all of these areas well, each day/week/month. It is about so much more than statuses and tweets and those who truly get that, ultimately win.

As we all approach Q4 and start to get really serious about our digital efforts, we think all clients should have some clear plans and objectives in mind. We always say that the business drives social and not the other way around, so it is so important that brands really think about what they have lined up. The more we know about their internal objectives and plans, the better we can advise on how to approach things digitally. Here we outline what we think most should be thinking about as this year comes to a close, and 2017 looms.

1. Got goals?

Paint a success picture for the final few months. What does a home run look like? The very first step to creating a successful social media strategy is understanding what your end goal is. It’s important to be realistic and set challenging yet achievable goals.

Here are some examples of goals you might want to consider for your social media strategy:

Increase overall traffic to your website by 50% year over year

Drive60% more engagement year over year

Influence 30% more conversions year over year

Increase revenue from social media by 20% year over year.

The above goals are completely random, purely intended to get you thinking of the types of things you might like to accomplish in the coming months. With definitive goals in mind, you can then align everything you do towards achieving them.

2. Who do you want?

Are you looking at data and understanding who your real target audience is? Who has been buying? Who is engaging with you on social? First, we would recommend taking a look at your current customer base and trying to create demographic personas based on needs, spending and whether you want to keep this current customer base or aim for a different one altogether.

If you don’t have a large customer base to vet for that ideal audience, there are tools you can use to see who is naturally gravitating towards your brand via your website and social media channels.

Where to look:

Google Analytics – Google Analytics has some awesome tools to help you understand the demographics, location, interests and even behaviors of your website visitors.

Facebook Insights / Audience Insights – Facebook is king of the data kingdom and has a wealth of information on users that are connected to your page, visit your website and even engage with your content. Installing a Facebook pixel or uploading an email list will help you unlock this valuable data.

Leveraging data to identify your target audience has always been important, however when it comes to creating a successful social media strategy it’s absolutely a must.

3. What are you saying?

Social networks offer you access and data to tell you how many people are out there and what they are interested in. You must decide, once armed with this information, what you are going to say. There is so much content and clutter out there, so you have to start to hone in on how you will differentiate. Graphics, photos and videos need to be top notch and really stand out. In addition to visuals, you have to put out well written content too.

Watch – Video, video, video. Almost every social media platform has upgraded their video capabilities and you should follow suit. Videos don’t have to be expensive to produce either, anything visual that is not still, qualifies.

Read –If you have a blog on your website, you’re already ahead of the game. If you can create valuable blog content that’s promoted properly through your social media channels, you’ll definitely begin to attract your ideal customer to your website. After all, you’re writing the content and you control the messaging.

4. Pay to play?

To truly reach a targeted audience and see a real tangible business/revenue result from social media, it’s highly recommended to allocate a dedicated social media advertising budget. Within the next five years, social media advertising is expected to comprise over 20% of marketing budgets. Social advertising is the absolute most cost effective way to reach a targeted audience where they are the most engaged.

5. Where are they watching?

Did you know that it’s estimated that people check their phones an average of 150x per day? Since we’re all addicted to mobile devices, wouldn’t it make sense to tailor your social media strategy to be mobile-first? 33% of shoppers do a majority of research on a mobile device and 49% say that they would buy more through their mobile device if the process was easier.

Since the consumer journey is no longer linear and takes place across different devices, we should all make sure that we make our content, social advertisements and website mobile friendly. 80% of social media time is now spent on mobile devices, so not optimizing your social media strategy for mobile could prove deadly.

Spend some time thinking and/or rethinking your POV on these categories right now and then get your house in order before Q4 and 2017 come calling. You don’t need to do it all today, but you do need to be leaning in on all of these categories right away. Set yourself up to win and get to work.

Today we feature one of our newest and most driven interns, Michele Doying. If we had to use one word to describe her, it would be HUSTLE. She is so focused and motivated to work hard and make things happen that it inspires us all to be better at our jobs. (Thank you for that Meesh.) We decided it was a good idea to ask her some questions to get to know her better. Here goes:

Full name and nickname? michele doying (I know it’s weird, but for some reason I think it’s more aesthetically pleasing with lowercase letters) Nicknames: it depends on who you’re asking! Meesh, Mush, and Doying are probably my favourites

Age? 26

University? Bringham Young University- BYU!

Major? Bachelor of Fine Arts: Photography Emphasis

What made you choose Sircle Media? There are two main reasons why I chose Sircle Media. (1) I loved the amount of hands on work interns are given and knew it would be a great way to learn and grow in my field. (2) The working environment was a perfect fit. Everyone works as a team here and really supports each other.

Most surprising discovery/realization after working here for a couple of weeks? I’m surprised by how different each day is! We’re always seeking to improve upon our ideas and while that can be challenging at times it is always rewarding. Also, the mouthwash dispenser in the bathroom was a very pleasant discovery

What is the best part of your internship? The amount of confidence the team has in their interns is by far one of the best parts of this internship. The interns here are treated like part of the team, not as expendables, and that really shows in the amount of trust that is given to us. And I love being able to pay back that trust with quality work.

What can you tell us about Adam or your supervisor? Adam is probably one of the most motivational bosses I’ve ever had! And my supervisor, Reid, is pure amazingness. He encourages me to think outside the box and always has the patience to teach me new tricks in post production. (Thanks Reid!!)

Advice you would give to a future intern? Don’t limit yourself. Don’t let doubt stop you. The internship position I saw for Sircle Media was for a Graphic Designer but I applied anyways because in the description it mentioned the need for photographers/videographers. When I was asked to share my portfolio I briefly thought about backing out and saying the application was a mistake, what if they were really just looking for Graphic Designers? Thankfully that wasn’t my decision. I sent in my photo and video portfolio, an interview was scheduled, and I ended up with my favorite internship to date.

I invest a lot in my employees at Sircle Media. They cost me money, time, focus and attention, each and every day. I’m not complaining mind you- they work hard for me and I am happy to give it all to them in return. As a result, it has led me to hold onto employees for too long sometimes. I knew in my gut that they are not right, but I just don’t want to lose out on the investment I made and I feel like somehow I failed and/or failed them, because I couldn’t make it work. Truth is, that it is always for the best if they move on.

If you both genuinely try hard and listen to one another’s needs and concerns and it still doesn’t work out, then the best move is to make a change. Despite the frustration and opportunity cost spent on replacing them, it has always been a great move for my business. I can say with confidence, that the best employees on my staff, came as a result of one of these transitions.

I love anyone who has worked for me, even if only for a short period. I realize they could work anywhere and I appreciate every minute they gave me and my company. I will work hard to help set them up after they leave here with advice, letters of recommendation and even go so far as to set them up with interviews. They helped me and I choose to return the favor.

I also have found, that if the foundation of the departing employee is strong, then the exit can be a smooth and positive one. They are relieved that you are not harsh with them and they want to do everything they can to set you up to win when they leave. It also shows your remaining staff that you do back up what you say and that you are professional and courteous to your team, even at a dark time. This makes it clear that any (even that super stressful and uncomfortable) conversation is OK to have with you. This makes for improved and open communication amongst those who stay, which is a very good thing.

The only negative thing that happens (almost every single time) is that when you look under the hood of an unhappy or bad fit employee’s work, it is a mess. Their work product is just not up to snuff (most likely because they have been distracted and/or conflicted about their role) and their output suffered. So once again, the faster you address that the better off your company will be. In a service business like mine, you need to address this quickly, because even one day of lackluster work can be very detrimental to client relationships. They would prefer change, over anything less than 100% effort and results.

So my advice? Audit your employees regularly. Understand their vision (both short and long term) and make sure your company infrastructure is in line with where they want to be. If you are out of sync, it likely wont work for long. Reverse engineer what would make them happy and working at their best, and then create an environment that allows you to win together. Then you have something that is built to last!